Marina, Held in Hearts
by specialMentality
Summary: Lost in Wonderland, Marina and her companion, Truth, travel among the territories and befriend their inhabitants to beat 'The Game of Hearts'. But a mystery arises concerning the original Foreigner of Wonderland, causing her to delve into the past. There, she will learn things about herself and her family's mysterious condition, and why Alice left Wonderland in the first place.
1. Down, down, down

I watched as he ran around the yard, his bald head gleaming in the sunlight. Smiling, I reached out and grabbed him, tugging him into my lap. "Marina!" he cried, frowning. I grinned, kissing his cheek before letting him go. "You shouldn't read out here, it's cold. You'll get sick again."

I tapped his nose. "If anyone should worry about getting sick, it's you, silly!" He frowned, crossing his fat arms. "Don't you frown at me, Mister." His frown broke into a large grin, and he ran back into my arms.

"I love you, sissy!" he said happily. I smiled and pulled him into my lap. "Could we play a game, sissy?" My head started to thump when he said game, but I nodded. I turned around when I thought I heard someone talking.

"**Please, Nightmare. Once more. I know she'll stay with us, forever!"**

Nightmare? I shook my head, instead focusing on the little boy in front of me. "What game should we play?"

He tapped his chin before he said excitedly, "Cards!" My head throbbed again.

"Cards?" I repeated.

"**You must find someone that can easily forget, Rabbit. Someone that needs us."**

He nodded happily. "Yea, cards! Let's play a card game!"

A smile made its way to my lips, and words escaped my mouth. "Because that's the rule." He stared up at me, shaking his head. "What?"

"**I will. I know the perfect girl."**

"You're silly, sissy." He jumped off my lap, and I set my book down. "I'll go get the cards!" I waved after him, waiting patiently. I shook my head, waving off drowsiness. Why was I tired all of a sudden?

Truth curled up next to me. "He's taking a while, kitty," I said, rubbing his fur. He purred happily. "Think he'll mind if I take a nap while waiting for him?" He crawled onto my chest when I laid back and shut my eyes. I smiled sleepily, "I'll take that as a yes."

"_Hey, did you know?"_

Falling. It was the first thing I noticed when I opened up my eyes. I was falling, down down down. It seemed like the hole lasted forever, and daylight kept getting further away. The next thing I noticed was the strange man that held me close. He had the ears of a white rabbit. He must've noticed I had opened my eyes, because he said, "We're almost there, Miss Marina."

Blinking, I said questioningly, "How do you know my name?" My heart jumped into my chest when I heard the furious mews of Truth. He was with us? "Where's Truth!?" I screamed. He held his ear tightly before he revealed the black cat that was clutched in his vest.

"I know your name because I know everything about you! And the filthy kitten is right here, too." I reached for the kitten, letting out a surprised gasp when we instead collided with solid ground. He let me out of his grasp, and I snatched Truth from his vest and backed up.

Pointing at him, I screamed, "Who the heck are you!?" He smiled and bowed.

"My name is Peter White." He adjusted his glasses, smiling from beneath the shadow his hand casted. "I hope I haven't caused you much fright." I shook pathetically, backing up when he pulled a vial from his pocket. It had a Heart stopper on top, and the liquid looked entirely too sweet.

Peter was suddenly in front of me, smiling widely. "It's time for you to play the game, Miss Marina."

My body shook, head thumping in pain as I stared at the potion. "I do love a good game…" I reached out for it; I wasn't in control of my body. I watched as my free hand grasped the vial. My other hand cradled Truth close to my chest.

"_Games always have rules."_

The voice sounded familiar; it sounded like his voice. I could see his outline in my vision. I could see his happy smile. "The rules are simple, Miss Marina; you can't go home until you make everyone here love you. Fill up the vial with the potion to go home. Or stay."

I uncorked the vial, placing it against my lips and letting the pink liquid drain down my throat. As I had thought, it was entirely too sweet. It seemed like I was back in control of my body when I smacked my lips together, "Too sweet."

Peter's ears twitched, and he smiled. "You drank it so nicely! I knew it, you weren't feisty."

I wrinkled my nose as I crossed my arms, Truth purring in my clutches. Sticking my nose up in the air, I feigned arrogance. "As I said, I love a good game." Suddenly, his words hit home with me. "I… I can't go home until I fill the vial up?" He grinned, nodding. I've made a reckless decision again… Doing before I think…

"Mhmm… But, you can stay forever if you decide you like it here!" he said cheerfully, spinning around me. "Oh, I'm so happy you drank the Potion of Hearts, dear!" He extended his arms, "'This is the Potion of Hearts! Once you drink it, you must participate in the game!'"

I tutted, trying to put on an 'I-don't-care' look. "Ah, home wasn't good for me anyways. This should be much more fun!" But, all my things are at home… And he's there, too… I tutted again. I should finish this game quickly so I can get home to him!

My head started to hurt when I thought of his smiling face and chubby cheeks. I mumbled his name under my breath, causing the albino-rabbit-man to blink curiously at me. It clicked suddenly. There's no way someone can have bunny ears! "Who is that? Another cat?"

"_It's decided from the beginning..."_

I shook my head, feeling better. I just have to beat this game, right? "He's someone important to me."

He tilted his head, eyes becoming impassive. "Is he your lover?" Why did he sound upset? Ah, whatever. This is just a dream. Definitely a dream. But, I have a feeling it's going to be a long one…

I chuckled, pocketing the vial before petting Truth. He purred in my arms contently, forcing his head into my hand. "Lover? Hardly! He's my little brother!" I grinned at Peter. He blinked once before smiling back at me.

"Miss Marina, you're very sweet!"

I shook my head, "No way. I just like games. And dreams." He frowned at the word, but smiled when I looked back at him. He nodded, watching as I approached the edge of the building. I could see all of my dream world from the building's roof. There was a mansion with large gates, a castle, an amusement park, a forest, and what appeared to be a small house surrounded by flowers. "Wow! Peter, where am I?"

He smiled, standing next to me. "You're in Wonderland."

My breath hitched. "Wonder… Wonderland?" From the story?_ Alice in Wonderland_... This… this isn't mine, then. Why am I having an _Alice in Wonderland_ themed dream? I haven't read the book or seen the movie in quite a while...

"Is that a problem?"

"No… no… It's just… you've got the wrong girl. I'm not Alice…"

"Who's Alice! We don't want Alice!" He laughed a little too loud for my taste. He was hiding something… He stopped laughing when I frowned. "You're our Alice." He went to touch me, but I slapped his hand away. "Miss Marina?"

"You're not telling me everything." I glared at him, "I don't like people that don't tell me everything. If this is a game, you have to tell me all the rules!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that… I'd be breaking a rule, and then I'd have to send you back without completing the game." He placed a finger against his lips, "So no way, okay?" He scampered off, and I felt myself get angry. I followed him down the staircase (which was incredibly long) and out the door, clutching Truth close.

He quickly ran into the woods. I attempted to follow, but got lost among the trees. I found myself at the house with the gardens surrounding it. Slowly, I approached the house, hoping someone could tell me something. Something about Alice…

I knocked on the door with one hand, only to jump back when a girl with no face opened the door. I mean, she had lips and a nose and eyebrows, but her eyes! They were missing! She seemed just as lost as I was, for she just turned over her shoulder and yelled, "Mistress!" Even without eyes, I could see the distress on her face. So… she could see me?

I heard the thumping of someone moving, and stepped back when a young lady, no older than I, stood in front of me. Her hair was the color of a flower stem, and her eyes were the color of the softest red roses. Her jaw dropped, and she grabbed my hand. "That… _idiot_!" She looked at the girl that let me in, who I finally _really_ looked at. She had white hair and wore a flowing, Spanish-styled dress. "Chamomile, make sure that stupid bunny is gone! And make sure no one saw this girl and cat!"

I stared at her, mouth open in a small 'o'. "Who… who are you?"

She grinned, "I'm Rose La Rosa, leader of The Gardens Group. Welcome to The House, Little Miss Foreigner." She looked up when the white-haired girl-Chamomile-returned. "So, Cammie, is he gone?"

She nodded, "No sign of him anywhere, Mistress." Rose smirked when she said, "But that stupid knight is still in the woods… He was lost again, so I gave him directions." The red-eyed girl took Truth from my arms, petting him contently.

"He left you all alone, didn't he?" I nodded, causing her to frown. "Just like he did with her, only explaining the rules and never showing her around…" I watched as her eyes got a crazy haze to them, and she suddenly looked at me. "Sorry, Miss, never got your name."

I stuttered, "M-Marina. Marina Jenkins." She grinned again, letting Truth go. He wandered around, but stayed relatively close to me.

"Marina Jenkins? Hm, unique name." She lead me to a table, and I saw a girl with light purple hair making something. "Would you care for some Rose Water?" she asked.

"Rose Water?"

She sighed happily, sitting down. I sat across from her, watching as she eagerly drank from the cup that was set in front of her. "Rose Water is a Gardens specialty. Flower Waters in general. but there's something positively wonderful about Rose Water." I nodded slightly. It sounded interesting. "Lilac, get Marina some Rose Water!" The purple-haired girl presented me with a glass, and I hesitantly drank from it. The water had a peculiar, slightly sweet taste. It wasn't that bad, actually. "Do you like it?"

I nodded again, "It's good." She smiled widely, her eyes twinkling happily.

"So, Marina. You've noticed that I have a Face by now. And that my dear friends here are, in fact, Faceless." I noticed that the kitten purred next to my legs when I nodded. "He really didn't tell you anything?"

"Just told me about the Potion of Hearts. Which I drank." She snorted.

"Not surprised. It's an enticing drink, right? You _wanted_ to drink it. You couldn't help _but_ to drink it." She shook her head, crossing her arms and leaning back into her chair. "Lilac, darling, go fetch Bud for me." The girl nodded, quickly scurrying from the room. "I'll explain everything to you when Bud gets his tail end out here." Lilac returned after a moment, a young boy with a face following her. He looked exactly like Rose, but instead of red eyes, he had light pink.

"Big Sister?" he called. Rose turned, opening her arms. I felt a pang in my heart when the boy ran into them. "Who is this? A new Role Holder?"

"Role Holder?"

Rose pressed her finger against his lips. "Shush, Bud. Introduce yourself."

The boy extended his hand, which I shook. It was the same size… "My name's Briar La Rosa, but you can call me Bud." He smiled, and I saw the two front teeth missing. I smiled gently at him.

"It's nice to meet you, Bud. I'm Marina Jenkins." He shyly buried his head into his sister's shoulder, but continued to stare at me. "So… what are these Role Holders?"

She set her brother down, and he scampered off. "Lilac, get Lily to watch him, please? He's been going near Blood's Rose Garden again." She nodded and scurried off. She stared at me, "So, you know the rules of the game, right?"

"Fill this vial up with the liquid, then I can go home."

She laughed, "Oh, honey, that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"_You knew that, right?"_


	2. Curiouser and Curiouser

"_And_ that's everything you need to know about Heart Country." Rose nodded thoughtfully, arms crossed as she leaned back. My mind reeled with the new information.

"You're… you're a rival gang leader!? But, Rose, you're so sweet! That should be impossible!" She grinned, "Rose, seriously, stop it. You can't possibly be a rival to that mean guy, Blood!" Truth had long since climbed into my lap, snoozing comfortably against my touches. I didn't understand why, but I felt at ease around the flower-themed girl.

"I feel like I've held you here too long. Now that you know all about our dearest Wonderland, you should go explore! Alice always did, especially after my territory appeared…" She fell silent, and I stared at her. She shook her head suddenly, "Sorry, what was I talking about?"

"Alice?"

She shrugged, "Can't say the name rings a bell. Now, take your kitten and run along!" She shooed me, but stopped me with a simple, "And if you need a place to stay, The House is always opened to you, Little Miss Foreigner!"

I smiled, "I think I'll take you up on that offer, La Rosa." She winked as she stood up, disappearing out the sliding glass door. I sighed and walked out. She said that exploring would lead me to all the different territories, so I best choose a direction and roll with it. I put a hand over my eyes and spun around, stopping after a few moments and facing the sun. "I'll go this way, then." I started on my hike, grinning. Truth followed me curiously. "This dream, it seems like fun, eh Truth?"

"Certainly." I blinked, staring down at the kitten. He stared up at me, eyes wide. "Did that-? Oh, oh _no_. She must've slipped something into that milk she offered me…" he said, eyes locked on the ground.

"You're… you're talking!" I said happily. This dream is so cool! Truth can talk, and his voice is so cute and childish! "That's awesome, Truth!" He remained silent, until I said, "Say something else, Truth."

"There's someone over there." I giggled; his voice was so cute! "No, Marina, seriously." I looked up when I heard laughter. Quickly, I grabbed the cat and ducked behind a tree. Scary! That guy was covered with blood!

I glanced out, only to jump back and scream when a sword was pointed at my throat. This red jacket, and his smile, and the sword, and the random place he popped up at… "Ace?" He blinked before he smiled and dropped his sword.

"Alice! You've returned! Yay!" He hugged me tight, and I shoved against him.

"My name's Marina, nitwit!" I cried, pushing against his gigantic body. He let go of me, seemingly taking in my appearance for the first time. He looked crushed when he saw that I wasn't his (seemingly) beloved Alice. "I'm Marina, Ace."

"How do you know my name?" he asked childishly, pouting.

"Rose told me all about this place. She told me about its inhabitants." He nodded, though it felt like he didn't truly understand what I said. He just continued to examine me.

"You look like Alice, but your eyes and clothes are all wrong. Alice's eyes were blue, not purple, and she wore dresses, not shorts!" I rolled my eyes; Alice sounds exactly like how she was in the book and movie: a cute little girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes in a froofy dress.

I put my finger to his lips, "I'm not Alice." He crossed his arms pathetically, making a show of how he slid his eyes up and down my body.

"You look like her…" He immediately pepped back up. "But, yay! A new Foreigner! Are you lost? Let me show you around!" he sang, clutching my wrist and picking up his sword. My smaller hand easily slid through his grasp, and I scowled.

"No way, you'll get us lost." He pouted and sheathed his weapon. "I'm exploring with Truth." I gestured to the cat on the ground.

"Pleasure, to meet you, Mister Ace." He performed what was the cat-equivalent of a bow (I guess?) before he circled the guy's legs. "You're incredibly tall."

He grinned, crouching to scratch behind his ears. "You've got a talking cat? With _eyes_!? Oh, that's amazing!" I rolled my eyes. "I like him, Marina." He got a feral look in his eyes, grinning up at me. "Can I keep him?" I inhaled; Rose told me to remain calm when he got like this.

I shortly said, "No." His feral face immediately fell, and he let out a disappointed 'boo!' He was just like a kid… I shook my head, leaning down and scooping up the animal.

"Marina, I can take care of myself!" he yowled. I pat his head once, and he quickly quieted.

I smiled at Ace after he stood back up. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Ace. But I really must be going." He nodded, lip jutted out childishly. I extended my hand, which he shook. "Really, a pleasure. _But_, I've got a game to win. And the only way to win is to meet everyone!" I waved goodbye as I took off. I heard him walk the other direction.

Truth pouted, "Put me down."

I grinned, "You're still a baby, let momma take care of you." He bit my hand gently.

"You're not my momma. And I'm a year old! I'm no baby…" I sighed and set him down. "Thank you." We walked forward, but stopped after a few feet when he hissed loudly. "Someone's nearby… They smell like roses…" His ears twitched.

I wandered forward, seeing light peek out between the trees. So, it had undergone one of those Time Changes Rose was telling me about. It looked like the sun had just set. Dusk, maybe? I shrugged and boldly walked forward. She told me they wouldn't hurt me, since I'm a Foreigner and all. But, I was still a little frightened.

As I broke the tree line, I saw a giant mansion surrounded by gates. Ah, that's The Hatter's place, right? I nodded, as if to assure myself. I stopped dead in my tracks. There, on a bench, sat the Hatter himself. At least, I assumed so. The hat certainly suggested it. Truth crouched down, ears flattened against his head. I inched back. He seemed… dangerous.

"I know you're there," he chimed. I clicked my tongue. Ah~ I was caught. I walked forward, next to him. He looked up, and I stared down at him. His eyes widened slightly. "You're not Alice-augh!" He suddenly clenched his hair, "Get out of my head, Nightmare. I'm not going to forget." I stared on in confusion.

What? What's he not going to forget? Alice? And Nightmare? That weird guy Rose said came to Role Holders in their sleep? Huh. That guy had the power to make them forget stuff? ...maybe he is really powerful. Better stay on his good side.

"Man, are you okay?" I asked, leaning down after I got my thoughts together. He nodded, his headache apparently gone. "You sure?"

"You're not…" He inhaled testily, "Alice, are you? A new, different Alice?" I shook my head. He smiled, though I could feel the grimness behind it. "Good. I won't have to wring your neck then." He scoot over, patting the spot next to him. Hesitantly (I mean, that last comment did leave me wondering whether or not he was completely sane… Though, he is the _Mad_ Hatter.) I sat next to him. "So, you're the new Foreigner, eh?"

"Um… yeah. Yeah, that's me. The new Foreigner." He hummed and silence settled over us. I found that it was incredibly awkward to be around him. He had an outrageous presence, and he radiated arrogance. I've known the guy for approximately three minutes and already I'm intimidated.

"Your name would be nice."

I flushed in embarrassment. Hurriedly, I said, "Marina. Jenkins. Marina Jenkins. Marina _Dinah_ Jenkins." He hummed again.

"I'm Blood Dupre… You came from Gardens territory. Did Miss Rose already get to you and tell you what a big, bad man I am, Marina Dinah Jenkins?"

"She said you were a giant jerkface, but other than that she seems pretty cool with you." And that you wouldn't hesitate to kill someone…

"Jerkface?" he repeated, sounding amused.

"Big meanie. Humongous butt. I mean, what she said was far less acceptable." And I don't like cursing, so. "So…"

"You're here for attention as well?"

"I'm here to play a game."

"Ah."

"She said you had a thing about making girls feel like whores." I picked at my nails, stopping when Truth looked up at me. "Yes?"

"We should probably either move or go back. I have a feeling it's going to Time Change soon," he nervously said. Ah, so I'm not the only one intimidated. Truth's affected by him as well.

"You have a talking cat."

"Yea, I do." I stood up, patting my shorts. "Hey, Mister Blood, do I really look so much like Alice?" He shrugged when I stared at him. "Do I?"

"The similarities are there. Your eyes certainly differ, though." I nodded. So maybe Peter brought me here because I look like her… But, why won't they tell me about her? He grabbed his head again, "Ah, no good… He's getting stronger." I nodded again, looking out over the hill. Absentmindedly, I wondered why there was a bench positioned right here. Shrugging, I turned back to Blood.

"Can I ask about Alice?"

"What about her?"

"Where is she?"

"She's-augh!" He groaned in pain, and I kneeled beside him. "Mister Blood? Are you okay?" He shook his head, but looked up after a moment.

"My apologies, Marina Dinah Jenkins. What were we talking about?"

"Alice, we're talking about Alice!"

He tilted his head, "Who?"

My jaw dropped. He… he forgot. Just like how Rose forgot. I've got to figure this out, as soon as possible! I might've started a dangerous game... I shook my head. Stay calm, stay calm. "It's… no one, Mister Blood. A friend…" But, if I look like her, I must be able to jog their memories somehow…

"Ah, Marina Dinah Jenkins-"

"-Marina is fine-"

"-would you like to accompany to a tea party?" Tea party? Isn't that… I dunno, girly? I swallowed when he smiled that evil smile Rose had warned me about. I nodded.

"A tea party sounds fun!" I forcibly said. I clapped my hands together for emphasis on my cheerful words. "Who'll be there? More Role Holders?"

His mouth formed an 'o' as he looked at me. "You know of us Role Holders?" I hummed my response. He sighed, "Rose told you, didn't she?" I nodded cheerfully. "She certainly didn't hesitate to get cozy with the Foreigner." I rolled my eyes.

"So, this tea party. Role Holders or no?" I asked, standing up. Truth jumped on the bench, then into my arms. I held him close when Blood stood up.

"My number two, Elliot March, will be there, as well as my twin gatekeepers. They're all Role Holders." Elliot March… March… Okay, think here Marina. The Mad Hatter partied with who in the movie? The March Hare! And what lovable (at least in the movie) set of twins are in Wonderland? Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum! So, the Hatters include (but are not limited to): Blood Dupre (The Mad Hatter), Elliot March (The March Hare) and the twins (Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum).

Wait… if he's a hare, will he have ears, too? I looked up at Blood, who stared down at me. The awkward atmosphere seemingly melted when he forgot about Alice… It's not that he still doesn't seem like a giant jerk, but he seems less… something. Stressed? Worried? Anxious? "Any questions before we get to the mansion?" he asked.

I said the first thing that came to mind in an effort to create conversation. "Yea: how do you manage to fight Rose? She's so nice!" He snorted. I looked up at him, confused. "She's so nice! She offered me a place to stay and explained everything about Heart Country to me!"

"She's nice to those she likes. To my agents, however, she is… less than favorable." He stared off to the side. "But, she offered you a place to stay? She certainly is on top of things. Had I known you were here, I would've gone and swept you off your feet." I rolled my eyes, glancing at the mansion. We were getting really close!

"Let's not say that, 'kay?" I said. The mansion seemed to suddenly jump closer, for we stood at the gates. I looked back up the hill, squinting when I saw the bench (quite literally) get up and walk away. "You see that, Truth?" He nodded. "Huh."

"That bench is a bit of a tricky one. Refuses to stay in one place for too long." Blood opened the gate, grabbing me by the back of my shirt and tugging me through. "Follow me." I did as he said, taking in the beautiful scenery around me. The gardens were almost as beautiful as Rose's… I grinned; I really adored Rose, even though I had just met her.

The bushes and hedges were trimmed excellently, forming a pathway. My feet padded against the ground loudly, compared to his precise movements. "This place is beautiful!"

"Thank you."

Truth jumped from my arms. "Marina, I'm going to go explore, okay?"

I turned to him, stopping in the middle of the pathway. "You remember how to get back to Rose's?" I asked.

He performed the cat-equivalent of a smirk. "I'm a cat, remember?" I rolled my eyes. "So, is that a yes?"

"Yes. But be back at Rose's before the end of the next time change." He scampered off happily, leaving Blood and I alone. I turned to him and grinned, "He's an adventurous little thing, huh?"

He hummed, "Seems he is."

After a few more minutes of walking, the sky suddenly shifted into a dark night, which left me grasping for something. No lights had kicked on. I nearly screamed when someone came up behind me. "Hey, Blood, who's this?" I turned around, eyes still adjusting to the shift in light, and squinted up at the tall male. He was as tall as Ace, if not taller! And were those _ears_ I saw peeking out the top of his head? This must be the hare. Immediately, I turned to find Blood, but he had disappeared into the night. The hare-Elliot-sighed. "Come on, Blood, where are you? It's tea time." He nudged me forward, hand on my shoulder. "So… who are you?"

"I'm Marina," I introduced.

He hummed, "Marina, Marina… Nope, not a Role Holder name I'm familiar with. There a new Role or something?"

"No, you idiot." Ah, _there_ he was! "She's a Foreigner."

Elliot gasped, "A Foreigner?" No Alice comments? Had he already forgotten her?

The lights decided to click on at that moment, and I was blinded. I bumped into something (which felt strangely like a pulled out chair) and fell. The hare caught my bicep, pulling me up and staring at me. His face became hard as he stared, violet eyes sweeping over my face. I took the time to examine his hair. Huh, it's orange, but his ears are slightly more brown. Weird. Looks soft though.

"Do I know you? You look familiar." Probably because I look like Alice, and your memories are calling out. Ah, whatever. I shook my head. "Are you_ sure_ you're not a Faceless-turned-Role Holder?"

"Positive."

He smiled cheerfully, "Well, Miss Foreigner, it's nice to meet you!" He motioned for me to sit in the chair, so I did as he instructed. He pushed the chair in. Blood sat down next to me, Elliot across from us. I noted blankly that a chair sat on either side of him. For the twins? Probably.

"Where are the twins? I'm excited to meet them."

"They're probably moping around since I scolded them for not guarding the gate," the hare sighed. "They were acting stupid."

"Shut up, stupid chicken rabbit!" I had to keep myself from snorting at the new voice's insult. Rabbit? Well, hares are _like_ rabbits, yea. But he wasn't a rabbit. I stared off at the owner of the voice, seeing a set of twins. They had dark hair, parted in opposite directions beneath their hats. Their eyes were blood red-I could tell from where I sat. They each wore a uniform, one blue and the other red.

"Wow," I murmured quietly. They were incredibly cute!

The red one slumped against his chair, sticking his tongue out at Elliot. "Stupid weakling rabbit!" he teased.

The blue boy matched his brother, slouching in his chair and sticking his tongue out. "Acting all high and mighty!"

"You… _idiots_! Can't you behave!? We have a guest!" the hare cried, gesturing to me. The twins blinked at me. Then they smiled and extended their hands.

"It's nice to meet you, Big Sis! We're Dee and Dum, the Bloody twins!" I placed one of my hands in each of their palms, and they shook them furiously. After a few moments, Blood cleared his throat, signaling for the boys to stop. They let go of my hands (which I put in my lap) and sat back down.

Faceless maids scurried out after a moment, setting tea cups in front of each of us and quickly filling them with tea. I picked up my fancy red cup, blowing on the liquid to cool it down. After it had cooled sufficiently, I sipped from it. I swallowed it, attempting to stifle my frown. It was far too bitter… It needs some milk and sugar. "Do you not like it? It's earl grey."

I set the cup down, "Do we have any milk? And sugar?" He sent me a confused look, but clapped. A maid scurried out again.

"What is it, sir?"

"Milk and sugar." She nodded, walking back to the mansion. "It'll be but a moment, Marina."

The twins let out 'ooh's and stared at me. "Big Sis, your name is Marina?" I nodded. "That sure is a pretty name!" I shrugged; it was pretty, I guess.

The maid returned with milk and sugar, which she set in front of me. As she turned to walk away, I grabbed her wrist. Even without eyes, she looked positively frightened. "I just wanted to say thank you." Her frightened look fell, and she smiled.

"You're welcome, Miss." I let her wrist go, and she walked away.

"You don't have to thank them. They're just servants," Elliot chimed. I shrugged again.

"It's rude not too, back where I come from." They all stopped sipping their teas, staring at me.

"Ah, yes. Where you come from. Pray tell, what's it like where you come from?" the Hatter asked. I tapped my chin before I grabbed the milk.

As I poured it into my tea, I said, "It's a little peculiar, even to me. But, we each have a role in society. Everyone does. And everyone has a face. There's no Faceless servants. On top of that, it's bad to kill people where I'm from, so there's no killing for fun. Well, I mean, some people kill people for fun, but they're insane." I put the milk down and poured two spoonfuls of sugar into the drink. I sipped from it, finding it to my liking. "My world is very dull compared to yours. Wonderland has a certain _je ne sais quoi_ to it. Different and cool and peculiar." I drank more of my tea, finding the small cup empty in a few gulps. I nodded, "It's been nice joining you guys for tea, but I better head back. Rose'll be worried that I've been out for two Time Changes."

I stood up, but Blood grabbed my wrist. "Why don't you stay here?"

I grinned, "The mansion is pretty, but I like The House much more. It has a cozier feel. Besides, it would be rude to go back on my word. I said I'd stay with her."

He nodded, sipping his tea and releasing my arm. "Then, can I offer Elliot's services for tomorrow?" I tilted my head. "You came through the forest, so it's obvious you don't know Wonderland very well. There's a pathway that links everything together."

Oh! So he's offering Elliot's help? ...does the hare not mind being forced around? I'm going to have to learn about their positions… I nodded though, "If it's not a problem with you, Elliot." He grinned.

"Not at all, Marina!" I smiled and waved my way goodbye, trying to remember the way. I found it after a few moments, walking back onto the main path. I scanned the area, using the faint light the mansion produced. There was a path that headed towards Rose's place… Better follow it.

A yawn escaped my lips. I'll finish exploring tomorrow, with Elliot.


	3. How queer everything is to-day!

I yawned again as I traveled down the path. How long had I been walking? Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? I didn't know. But everything seemed to repeat itself. On top of that, I hadn't seen this pathway break off to the gardens. I stopped, thinking. Maybe if I get back to the building Peter brought me to, I can find my way back to The House! I smiled and pushed energy into my legs, falling into a sprint. I no longer paid mind to the scenery, instead keeping my gaze forward. My smile widened when I saw the outline of the tall tower.

Since I hadn't seen anybody in there earlier, I didn't think twice as I opened the door. If I get to the roof, I could find my way back to The House with ease! I started to walk up the stairs, but stopped when I heard a voice a few staircases above me. "Who's there?" I ran up the stairs in search of the voice. I'd better explain why I was there. I stopped when I saw a door at the end of a staircase. I knocked on it, "You can come in." I opened the door slowly.

"Excuse the interruption," I said quietly. I looked at the owner of the voice, who stood in front of a clock-covered desk. Is that… a guy? But he's so pretty! Though his voice was so deep… His hair is so long, too. I walked forward, staring at him. He glared back at me, though it softened sufficiently when he got a good look at my face. I know that look. That's the same look Blood gave me. "My name's Marina Jenkins." His hopeful look fell, but he nodded. "Who're you?"

"My name's Julius Monrey. Are you a Foreigner?"

I nodded before I said, "Excuse me for just barging in. When Peter brought me here earlier, no one seemed to be home, so I thought no one was here."

He nodded again, "Why are you here?" I blinked; was he asking me why I was in Wonderland, or why I was in the tower?

"Where is _here_?" I asked hesitantly. He sighed, turning to sit back at his desk and work on the clocks.

"This is Clock Tower." I nodded, sitting at the table in the middle of the room. So… this is Julius. I wonder what his Role is? I mean, he has a face and all… I shook my head. Would it be rude if I just came out and asked, 'Hey, what _Alice in Wonderland_ character are you?' I sighed. "If you have something to say, just say it."

"You have a Role, right?" He coughed into his hand, eyes going wide to stare at me. I shrugged, leaning back into my seat. "I've made a, eh, _friend_ since I've arrived in Wonderland. She's explained a few things." He nodded, returning his gaze to the clock in front of him.

"My Role is the Mortician." Mortician? There wasn't a Mortician in the book, or in the movie… Is this a Heart Country exclusive thing? Or is my imagination getting out of whack? Besides, what would a Mortician even do? Rose said they have clocks instead of hearts. So, does he examine the clocks or something? "You haven't answered my question. Why are you here?" He sounded agitated.

"I'm here because I'm trying to find my way back to The House." He shook his head in distaste. "What?"

"You shouldn't befriend The Gardens Group," he said. (I noticed that it sounded like he was warning me.) "They're incredibly dangerous."

I laughed, though I probably shouldn't have. I mean, all I have seen is Rose's nice side! "No way," I defended, "Rose is a sweetheart!" He mumbled something under his breath, and I leaned forward. "What was that?"

"Nothing. You're trying to return to The House?"

"Yessir."

He stood up and walked towards a window. He pointed out of it, and my eyes followed his fingers. Hey! That's the path I had just come from! "They're tricky, and I don't see why. Everyone knows where The House is." He pointed to the other side of the path, and I squinted. Among the vegetation was the faint outline of another path.

"Wah~ They _are_ tricky!" I grinned over at him, but he only huffed and walked back to his desk. I was still curious about his job, though. "Julius?" He cringed, and I stepped back. What was wrong with him? I shook my head, remembering the incident from earlier. Perhaps my looking like Alice is affecting him pretty badly? But he wasn't even looking at me… I pushed forward, though. "What does a Mortician do, here in Heart Country?"

"You're not at liberty to ask that," he growled. Oh...kay… Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. I nodded, walking away from the window and towards the door. He looked crushed when I placed my hand on the doorknob. "You're going." He looked so sad… Maybe if I befriend him, he'll be happy?

"I'll be back though, I promise. I'd like to be friends with you!" I said. He looked up from his work, wide eyes on me. I smiled at him. "Goodbye, Julius!" I walked out of the floor, shutting the door behind me gently. As I walked down the stairs, I wondered whether or not I could befriend him. He seemed a little rough on around the edges.

I walked out of Clock Tower and looked around. I looked at the path I had come down, then towards the path he had shown me. Placing one foot in front of the other, I walked down the path. My mind reeled with everything I had learned today. Clocks, Role Holders, Faceless, Potion of Hearts, Wonderland… I'm so tired, and I'm in a dream! "At least this dream is fun. Maybe I can sleep here, too?" I mused aloud.

I grinned when I saw the lights of The House. I knocked on the door, and Chamomile greeted me cheerfully. "Welcome, Miss Marina!" I smiled at her, nodding. "Mistress didn't think you'd be back so soon. It's only been two Time Changes." I shrugged my shoulders and looked around the living room. The walls were covered in flower wallpaper, and a flower-patterned couch was positioned in front of a typical flower-shaped coffee table. I smirked. They were really serious about this whole flower thing, weren't they?

I walked into the large dining room, examining it as well. The table was incredibly long and made of oak, surrounded by eighteen chairs (one on each end and eight on each side). The chairs were made of the same wood as the table, and each one had a different flower cut into the top. I looked up and noticed that there was a chandelier with flower-shaped light bulbs. I wondered what the rest of the house looked like.

Rose chose that moment to walk in from outside, and she stared at me. "Oh? Back so soon?" she asked. I nodded, yawning again. Man, I was beat! She smiled, pulling out the chair she had sat in earlier (I now noticed the large rose crafted into it). "So you're tired?" I nodded again. She leaned into her chair as cups full of water were brought out for the both of us. "Well, drink this and go to bed. It's best you meet Mister Gottschalk before we suddenly go to Clover Country. You can tell me about who you visited tomorrow." I pouted; honestly, I wanted to tell her now and ask her about everyone. Sure, she had already explained them, but now that I knew them, I wanted to learn more!

"I met a lot of interesting people today," I muttered. She drank from her glass, but stared at me. That's when I noticed Bud wasn't with us. "Hey, where's Bud?"

"Bud? Ah, he's asleep in the gardens." When I sent her a questioning stare, she said, "He likes it out there, and the weather here is almost always warm, so I see no harm in it." I nodded; they really were like flowers, then. Maybe they _were_ flowers. I mentally laughed at that. No way! They're just flower-themed. Then, it clicked. Flowers! Like the singing flower garden in the movie!

"Rose, do you and your girls sing?" I asked. She sent me a confused look, but nodded.

"The Gardens Group's original purpose was to be a singing group. We became a mafia gang of sorts after the original Rose fought with her Hatter." Ah, that make sense. Actually… it doesn't make any sense. She fought with the Hatter, so they became a mafia gang? What was the fight about? Something terrible, probably. "You're asking yourself what the fight was about, right? Well, that Hatter fought with her about the group's singing. She got pissed and killed half his men." Oh…

"Is every 'Rose' easy to anger?"

She sat forward and grinned, "I like to think that I'm pretty patient. But… yea, usually we are." She leaned back into her chair, red eyes locked on the ceiling. "Every rose has its thorns, you know." I couldn't help but grin. I yawned, picking up my water and drinking from it. It had a slightly bitter taste to it… "Ah, that's mineral water!"

"Oh," I looked at the glass, noticing the floating minerals in it, "that explains the taste." I sat the glass down. I didn't really want to drink anymore of it. Staring across the table, I yawned once again.

"Tired?" she asked.

I nodded, "Yea. Coming to Wonderland has been pretty eventful and all." She smiled gently, pushing one thick lock of hair behind her ear. Her hair reminds me of vines… I shook my head to clear the thought.

"I can have Poinsettia show you to your room." She whistled, and a young Faceless girl came up.

"Mistress?" Rose ruffled the girl's bright red hair, and she giggled.

"Hey, Poinsy, will you show Marina to the guest room?" The young girl nodded her head, and her hair shook. It reminded me of a flower in the wind.

I felt stupid. I couldn't just live here without working. "Rose, tomorrow will you give me some sort of work?" She looked up from playing with Poinsettia, eyes wide.

"You want to work?" I nodded. "I suppose you can be my ear to the ground. Listen for the juiciest gossip in Heart Country!" I blinked; that sounded surprisingly easy. Too easy… She must've seen my confused face, because she said, "I don't leave The House very often, so it's nice to know what goes on outside." Oh, killing two birds with one stone. Let me explore and beat my game while she collects information. That was actually pretty smart.

"Okay, I can do that." The young girl walked up and grabbed my hand. "Goodnight, Rose!"

"Night, Marina."

"You're room is located next to the Mistress' and the Master's." I followed her as she led me up a set of stairs. But, The House seems so small on the outside! Where did all of these rooms come from? I'd have to ask Rose when I woke up. As we walked down the long hallway of doors, I noticed that each door had a flower engraved into it. Ah, like the chairs? Was that how they labeled their things, with whatever flower they were? Probably, now that I think about it. ...that's pretty cool, actually.

We came to a blank door, and Poinsettia opened it. I stared in awe at the room. Seriously, where did all this room come from? This room was gigantic! There was a king bed with white covers, a large rosewood vanity, and a gigantic mirror. The walls had a mixed flower-pattern, and a large window sat across from the mirror. "Mistress gives everyone large rooms, so they're comfortable." Ah, that explains it. Seriously, how could anyone dislike Rose? She was a sweetheart! Giving all of her underlings these freaking gigantic rooms…

"Well, I have to ask. Is there a bathroom nearby?" She pointed at the door on the other side of the hallway. I nodded. "Do you think Rose would loan me some money for clothes?" She nodded once. "And does anyone have an extra pair of pajamas?"

"No one is quite your size… Well, except for Lily. I'll go grab one of her nightgowns." She scurried off, leaving me standing in front of the doorway. I turned around to stare at the room again, yawning. I needed to change and get to bed, soon. Poinsettia returned with a pale pink nightgown and wished me goodnight. I headed across the hallway and into the bathroom. I stared in awe at the bright pink walls and white marble top counters. Rose must be loaded, with these gigantic rooms and fancy bathroom(s?).

Not wanting to dally (as my yawns had grown more frequent) I quickly wiped off my face of any makeup residue. Then I grabbed a conveniently placed container of toothpaste, squirted some on my finger, and "brushed" my teeth. I stripped next, taking a black band from my wrist and tying my hair back before I slipped the nightgown on. It was a decent fit, other than the fact that it was a little loose around my bust. I frowned pitifully; even here, I was flat chested. Couldn't I have big boobs in _one_ of my dreams? I mean, Rose's are pretty big… I shook my head, crossing my arms and staring at my pale face in the mirror. Better not fret about nothing.

I walked back to the room, shutting the door behind me before pulling back the covers. I threw my clothes onto the ground before I crawled underneath them, pulled them back up, and promptly fell asleep.

At least, I thought I fell asleep. The next moment, I stood in the middle of gray fog. A man with gray hair and an eyepatch stood in front of me, smiling cheerfully. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Marina!" I blinked once, then stared at him in confusion. He didn't look nearly as intimidating as Rose made him out to be. Maybe she was scared of him? I'd have to ask her later… "Rose isn't scared of me. She just exaggerates things." How-!? What!? How can he…

"Can you read minds!?" I asked excitedly. That's incredible! A mind reading guy! Now, what's his Role?

"Yes, I can read minds. I play the Role of the Caterpillar." Ah~ The caterpillar? Does that mean he smokes as well? As if on cue, a pipe appeared in his hand. He puffed from it, staring at me cockily. "Yes, I do smoke. How do you know so much?"

"Well, I really liked the _Alice in Wonderland_ books and movies…" I glanced off to the side, staring at nothing.

His eyes widened, "_Alice in Wonderland_?"

"It's a series, back where I'm from." He crossed his legs, floating on nothing and staring at me. Oh, that's right! I meant to ask about Alice and why everyone forgot her! He scoffed.

"Everyone forgets the previous player when a new game starts." He tilted his head, "Was Alice the last player?" I nodded. "Then, how do you know of her?"

"Because it's called _Alice in Wonderland_, not _Marina in Wonderland_, stupid!" I walked up and flicked his forehead (he wasn't that far above me).

...he felt easy to get along with. Maybe he'll be my second friend here? He grinned, "I'd like to be your friend, Marina." Ah~ I forgot he could read minds. It's hard to think when I know someone can hear. "You could always put up a wall."

"How?"

He stared at me, "I… honestly don't know." His face twisted, and he muttered, "Gray does it all the time, that butt…"

"I just won't think of anything weird while I'm here." I nodded, assuring myself. "That way we can just talk." He smiled, raising his hand and covering his mouth. Then he coughed. I fell backwards when blood dripped through his fingers. "OH MY GOODNESS!" I placed my hands over his, not caring about the blood that covered mine. I then pulled his hand away to stare at is face. Blood dribbled down his chin. "Are you okay!?"

"I'm ill."

"If you're coughing up blood, you need to see a doctor!"

"I don't like hospitals."

"Nightmare, you need to at least see a doctor! You don't _have_ to go to a hospital!" He blinked, as if he never thought of it like that. "You can have a doctor visit you or something!" I rubbed one of my hands on my nightgown, then placed it against his forehead. "You're burning up!" His cheeks suddenly got a pink tinge to them, and he disappeared from my view. "Go to a doctor!"

His voice rang throughout the dream. "No!" My eyes snapped open, seeing sunlight pour into my room. I blearily remembered that I'm supposed to have Elliot show me around. Maybe he could show me some good shops? But I have to tell Rose about what I did during the Time Changes… Maybe I could tell her later?

I got up and pulled on my clothes from yesterday. Then I begrudgingly walked to the bathroom. I needed some makeup… Some eyeliner and mascara, that'll be just enough! I shook my head and washed my face, then brushed my teeth. I looked at myself in the mirror, deemed myself acceptable, and walked out of the bright pink bathroom. I walked down the wood paneled hallway, staring up at each door and trying to name the flower. I wasn't good at it, since I didn't know flowers very well. Just the typical rose and daisies.

After walking down the stairs, I walked into the dining room. Rose sat in her chair, Bud on the other side of the table. Every chair was filled, and girls talked between themselves. I only stared in awe. Rose stood up, "Attention!" Every girl stopped what they were doing and stood up straight.

"How can we help you, Mistress?" they asked in unison. My eyes widened; they were so incredible.

"We have a guest, and she's only met a few of you! I demand a roll call! Alphabetical order!"

On of the tallest of the group opened her mouth, "Anemone!" I noted her short purple hair. It wasn't light like Lilac's; it was a rich purple that reminded me of velvet.

A smaller girl with long white hair spoke next, "Calla!"

Next was a girl with shoulder length, deep red hair. "Carnation!"

"Chamomile!" I noted that she sat right next to Rose.

"Daffodil!" Bright yellow, curled out hair.

"Gerbera!" Short pink hair.

"Ginger!" Red pigtails.

"Hydrangea!" Light purple hair pulled into a bun.

"Iris!" Long dark purple hair.

"Lilac!" She sat on the other side of Rose.

"Lily!" Long pink and white hair.

"Orchid!" Pixie styled hair with one long ponytail.

"Peony!" Layered, short pink hair.

"Poinsettia!" She sat next to Bud. I couldn't help but notice that she smiled at him fondly.

"Sunflower!" The tallest of the group with short, yellow hair.

"Tulip!" Another tall girl with shoulder length pink hair.

I stared at the sixteen girls, looking at each of them in awe. "You're all beautiful," escaped me before I could stop it. It was true, each one had a certain elegance to them. They giggled to one another before Rose snapped. They stood straight up, faces forward and mouths set in firm lines.

"Now, you may sit." Each girl sat in time, except for Poinsettia. "Poinsy, sit."

"Mistress, where will our guest sit?" Rose blinked, then grinned.

"There's enough room at both ends of the table for another chair. Looks like I'll have to go out and buy a new chair for Marina." The girls started chattering all at once, and I heard a few 'I'll get it for you, Mistress!' She held up her hand, and the ladies silenced. Next, she scooted over and patted the extra room on her seat. "Sit with me for now, Marina." I shyly sat next to her. Then, suddenly, I remembered.

"Has anyone seen Truth?"

Everyone turned to me. Rose stared at me with wide eyes. "The cat?" I nodded. "He probably found Boris…" she groaned.

"Boris?"

She sighed, "The Cheshire Cat. He lives at the Amusement Park with Gowland." I nodded. Okay, so Truth might've made a friend… Or died. Hopefully it's not the latter. She perked right back up when the girls all stood up. "Are you all ready for breakfast?" They nodded. "Today we have omelettes with parsley and cheese. We also have some delicious vegetarian toppings. You each know your plate and cup, now go eat." The girls chattered once again, filling into the kitchen in an orderly line. It seemed to go by age, because as you looked closer to the back, the smaller the girls got.

"Is it always like this for breakfast?" I asked, amused.

She grinned, "Every Morning Time Change." She leaned back into her chair, staring at me and twitching her nose. "Would you like to accompany me shopping today?" My smile fell. "Ah~ What happened? Someone snag you?"

I nodded, "Elliot March is taking me around to see the sights." Her eyes got wide, and she smiled again. "What?"

"Little Elliot is taking you shopping!? That's great, we can all go!"

I raised a curious brow. "Don't you usually stay in The House?"

She frowned, "I wanna go shopping with you…" I pat her back and nodded, signalling she could come. With the way she reacted to me saying Elliot was taking me out, it seems that she likes him. Maybe they're friends? But they work for different mafias… The line had decreased, and she stood up. I followed suit. "We're also going to have to buy you a set of dishes and silverware."

"Speaking of buying stuff, could I ask for a loan to buy some clothes and makeup?" She looked over at me as we walked into the kitchen. I noticed that it had white everything: countertops, floors, appliances, and light fixtures. Color neutral, so no flower would be offended? Hm, maybe.

"Oh _yeah_, you probably need some clothes and stuff! Yea, Poinsy said you borrowed Lily's nightgown. How's it fit? Lily has big boobs, so it was probably loose around the chest, right?" I flushed; ah~ she hit the nail on the head.

"I'm _very_ flat chested."

"Do ya drink milk?" I shook my head. "There's your problem. You need some milk in your system." I rolled my eyes. Wasn't that just some wives tale? She smiled as she reached into a cabinet and pulled out a rose decorated plate and a rose shaped tea cup. She then handed a similar looking plate to Bud, who had quietly followed us in. I flushed; had he heard all that talk about my flat chest?

I wasn't feeling all that hungry, so I watched as Rose piled an omelette onto her plate. We walked back out and sat back down, and everyone hurriedly dug in. The group made small talk, and I watched as Poinsettia tried to get Bud to talk. So, he was a shy little fellow, eh?

She bumped my elbows with hers as she ate, and after a few minutes her plate was clean. She stood up, and all the girls stared at her, awaiting her command. She smiled, "You've all behaved well this Morning. It was wonderful to have breakfast with you. You may reward yourself with an hour off of practice tonight. But now, my guest and I must go visit Mister March." The girls all groaned in dissatisfaction. "Now, now, I'll be back soon." They smiled again. She turned to Chamomile. "Cammie, you're in charge. Make sure everyone does their chores." The white-haired girl nodded, standing up and clapping her hands.

"Okay everyone, once you're finished with your plates, take them to the kitchen and rinse them off! Then we'll go over the chore list."

Rose tapped Lilac's shoulder. "Will you please get my coat and umbrella ready? I'm going to go see if I have anything for our guest to wear." She nodded, standing up and walking towards the living room.

She turned to me and smiled, "Let's see if we can get you into something clean, yes?"


	4. Who am I then? Tell me that first

The clothes she tried to loan me were ridiculous. For ten minutes we discussed why I'd rather not wear her red and orange flamenco dress. Then she tried to put me in a sparkling pink skirt and white top. That was quickly denied. Finally, she shoved me into a loose fitting red dress that fell to my knees. When she had tried to get me to take off my striped socks and converse, I had jumped away from her.

We walked down the stairs maturely after our scuffle. And by maturely I mean that we walked down the stairs, shoving each other into the sides. I blinked after a moment, then sprinted back up the stairs. I needed that vial! He said it was supposed to fill with liquid… I got into my dirty clothes, searching through my pockets. I found it after a moment, surprised to see that it had a little bit of liquid in the bottom. I shrugged; probably residue from what I drank. But how was I going to carry it? I had no bag or pockets in this dress.

"Marina, are you coming?" Rose called.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" I held onto it tightly and ran down the stairs, sliding past the girls doing their chores. I nearly fell when I ran into the living room, but managed to right myself. She snorted loudly, but her face became stone cold when she opened the door. Everyone turned and faced her, having stopped what they had been doing.

"Behave, all of you! And if I'm not back by Dusk Time Change, start practice Chamomile." The white-haired girl nodded. Practice? Like, they legit have musical practice? That's pretty killer. She glanced at my hand as we walked out. "Why are you carrying that?"

"I don't want to leave it at The House." She nodded, taking it from my hand and examining it. She shook her head after a moment, and I asked, "What?" She handed the vial back to me.

"We can get a chain put in, so it's like a necklace." She motioned to her neck when she said 'necklace' and smiled. I smiled back at her. She put up her umbrella, letting it rest against her shoulder as she walked. "So, we'll stop by the Hatter's mansion to get Elliot, then we'll go explore the rest of the world and shop around a bit." I nodded. "You'll need to pay me back, of course. How about your first twelve Time Changes worth of pay?" I shrugged my head, but nodded. That sounded decent, I guess?

She led me down the path, then turned around to walk down the other path. We travelled in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying the scenery. I looked at each of the well kept flowers and admired their beauty as we passed by. "Oh! Truth. We need to find him." I looked over at her, and she stared back at me. Then she let out a long 'oh yeah.'

"Like I said, he probably found Boris." Boris is the cat, right? She looked ahead, then stopped when laughter filled the air. "They're shrinking their positions again," she sighed. Who?

The Bloody twins popped out of the woods, covered in thick blood. "Oh, Big Sis is back!" the red one-Dum?-said happily.

Dee(?) looked at Rose with wide blue eyes-blue? I thought they both had red? I guess my eyes had deceived me-and said, "And she brought the stupid flower with her!" She rolled her eyes and crouched down slightly, so she could look them in the eyes.

She flicked each of their foreheads while she said, "Marina has got reservations with Elliot." The flinched and nodded. So, they were intimidated by her? How? She's a big sweetheart, at least from what I've seen… They opened the gates to the mansion, letting us slip through. Rose grabbed my hand, smiling at me. "I know the way through here, so follow me." She opened the front door and put down her umbrella, holding it in her hand tightly.

She led me through the mansion, coming to a long hallway down the east corridor. She knocked on the first door, to which Blood answered. He frowned and covered his face with his hand. "Rose, what are you doing here?" he groaned. She laughed, and I didn't fail to notice the slightly pink tinge to her cheeks. Oh? Did she like Blood?

"Well, Marina said she had a date with Elliot, so I figured I'd tag along. Besides, I'm her boss now." He glanced back at me, a brow raised in curiosity. He mouthed the word 'boss' at her, and she huffed. "She's working for me, duh!"

I shook my hands, "Not, not really! I mean, I'm just listening for juicy gossip and that garbage!" He smiled amusedly, turning his back and walking back into the room. Through the gap I noticed the bookshelves that lined the walls. Was it a library?

"'Juicy gossip'? So you can harass Vivaldi at the next event?" She snickered into her hand as we followed him in. Oh, there's a desk. Is this his study? "Ah, exactly what you want. You know, if she finds out it's the Foreigner telling you all this, she may just chop off her head." Chop off my head?! Like, like the real Queen of Hearts?! Oh man, that's cool! …and creepy.

Rose scoffed, "She won't find out. She never does."

I said, "Unless he tells her."

"Unless you tell her."

Blood laughed slightly, "It's amusing, so I won't tell." He clapped his hands, and a maid and butler scurried in. (I realized absentmindedly that this was my first time seeing a male Faceless.) "Go fetch Elliot."

"Yes, Master Blood!" they said in unison. They both left quickly, leaving us standing with him. He sat in his chair, flipping through a packet of papers with a bored expression on his face.

"Perhaps I should join you three today." Again, she scoffed and sat in the chair across from his desk. He scowled, "That's for business meetings."

"Well, we need to discuss things, so let's do it while I'm out? I know you wouldn't want to come to The House, what with how jealous you are of our gardens and everything."

"I'm not jealous of anything at that crumby establishment you refer to as home." I saw a vein pop in her forehead, but she smiled.

"At least The House isn't uptight."

"Uptight?" He smiled that evil smile of his. I shivered and took a step back. Scary~!

"You know, like your 'I've got a stick stuck up my asshole' personality." My eyes flew wide, and I stared at Rose. She had her eyes closed and a smile on her face, though she looked agitated. "And at least I give my girls some freedom."

"Ah yes, you're 'freedom.' Allowing them to run amuck Heart Country, stirring up trouble. You know that no other Role Holder sees them as people; they're just pawns." He leaned against his desk, and she leaned forward. I took a step back. Was that sexual tension I tasted?

"They're my girls. You know they used to have Roles. Until _someone's_ previous Role Holder went and complained, and therefore got the rules changed." Did an old Hatter complain about the girls?

"They never had Roles. They've always been pawns."

Oh my, would they just kiss already? I jumped when Elliot said, "I'm here Blood! ...Wait, what's Rose doing here?" We all turned around to stare at the hare, who just looked at us curiously. Rose stood up and hopped over to him, leaving her umbrella by the chair.

"Hello, Mister Bunny!" she said happily. He scowled, pushing her away. She cried out, "Uh, Elliot!" Then she swung her arms. I smiled softly. They acted like friends. But, were they really friends? My smile fell; I'd have to ask later.

"Hello, Mistress Daisy," he responded. She scoffed and punched him in the gut. He didn't flinch. "But seriously, what are you doing here, Rose?" She stared up at him, then blinked twice with wide eyes. She shut her eyes and smiled cheekily. "Oh, that can't be good."

"Rose is accompanying Marina on your outing today, Elliot," Blood said calmly. He had tea all of a sudden, and I noticed a maid scurrying from the room. Huh? Wow, she had been _really_ quiet. The hare let out a long 'oh' and nodded.

"But… why?" He turned to stare at Rose, who had gone back by the chair to grab her umbrella. "You hardly ever leave The House, Rose." She grinned again, rolling on her toes.

"I wanna help Marina pick out clothes! And besides, someone needs to hold her little kitten~" He looked at me.

"Kitten?"

"His name is Truth. He wandered off during the night Time Change…" I looked to the side, thinking. I was a terrible pet owner. Well, Truth wasn't necessarily mine, though… But, he is here with me, so I need to take care of him.

"That curious little beast you had during the night? That's _your_ kitten?" I squinted at Blood, mouth open in disbelief.

"No, he's just a cat I found in the woods. _Yes_, he's my kitten!" I nearly yelled at him. He shrugged.

"I assumed you found him in the woods, since he could speak."

Rose flushed slightly and raised her hand, "That's my doing. I slipped a talking potion into his milk when they first came by The House." Both men stared at her, but sighed and went back to doing their respective things. She turned to Elliot, then looked at me. "Are we ready to go?"

I nodded, and he said, "I suppose."

She turned and waved at Blood, linking our arms together. "Well, we'll be borrowing your number two for a while!" she said. He sighed and waved his hand, looking back through his papers. She tugged me out, and Elliot followed. "So, where should we go first? The castle, the Amusement Park? Oh, oh, maybe even Clock Tower?"

I glanced over at her as we walked out of the mansion. "I've already met Julius." Both stopped, staring at me. "What?"

"You've already met Julius?" I nodded, confused. "And you didn't want to kill him for his shitty attitude?" I shook my head. Rose pouted, "I wanted to see his reaction to a Foreigner… He probably would've been a big douche." We started walking again, this time with Elliot beside me.

"He was a little standoffish, but he seemed pretty nice. A little sad, too." And I promised that I would try to become his friend, but I'd keep that to myself. She sighed and stuck her tongue out.

"Well, do you want to go to the Amusement Park? Boris lives there!" I nodded; she said that this Boris guy might have Truth, right? I needed to get him; he was probably starving! I looked up at the hare, who was frowning.

"I'm supposed to be showing her around…"

"Then show her around, dumbass." She released my arm, then stopped us both. She connected our arms, nodded, then walked ahead of us. "Show her around."

He blushed (though I was confused as to why) and said, "This pathway connects all of Heart Country. Well, except Gardens territory. That has its own path, which is connected to Clock Tower."

"I know that! Julius showed it to me!" I said excitedly. Yes, I knew something! I smiled up at him, and he returned the gesture.

Rose snickered, "You're acting like a couple." Immediately, both of us disconnected our arms and put three feet in between us. She put her hand in front of her mouth and snorted.

"S-s-shut up, Rose!" we said in unison. She snickered again, turning back around and walking. Elliot huffed, "A-anyways, this path leads from the mansion towards the Amusement Park and Heart Castle. It forks at the end, leading to each. There's also paths leading from Clock Tower to each." I nodded. So, all these buildings were connected to Clock Tower by a path, how interesting!

"Well, let's go to the Amusement Park!" she chirped, skipping ahead of up with her umbrella over her shoulder. I nodded in agreement, turning to Elliot. He was frowning, his ears lowered slightly.

"Is something wrong?" He shook his head. I stopped and tapped his face with my free hand. "You look upset."

He looked off to the side, "I don't like the Amusement Park." I tilted my head and released his face, curiously staring up at him. "W-well, it's more like I don't _like_ the people at the Amusement Park. Boris is okay, but Gowland is just…" He shuddered.

"Oh," I said knowingly. I get where's he's coming from. It was like that with high school for me. Didn't like going there because I didn't like the people there. "I understand entirely, Elliot." He blinked down at me, then smiled naively.

Rose was far ahead of us when she yelled, "I'm gonna leave you two behind!" We looked at her, then sprinted forward. She laughed when we reached her; me out of breath and Elliot grumbling about how annoying she was. "We're almost there, I can see the ferris wheel!" She had been right. I saw the outline of the ferris wheel over large fences and other rides. A grin made its way to my face as we walked closer.

We all turned around when a childish voice said, "Marina?" I grinned at the black kitten in front of me, rushing over and picking him up.

"Truth!" I said happily, squeezing his little body to mine. He purred contently and nuzzled his face into my neck. I held him out in front of me and scowled. "I said be back at The House by the end of the night Time Change, mister!" He kitty-smiled and flicked his ears.

"I'm sorry, lady, but he was with me." I looked up and gasped. In front of me stood a pink-haired male with cat ears. My cuteness sensors were beeping. I nearly dropped Truth, but instead kept him clenched in my hands as I approached him. An excited blush covered my cheeks as I reached up and pat his head. He blinked down at me, then smiled and leaned into my hand. "So nice that you're back, Alice~"

That snapped me out of my cuteness daze. I pouted, "My name's Marina." His smile fell and he stared at me with hard eyes.

Rose popped up next to me, "Who's Alice?" The cat-Boris, now that I have gotten a good look at him-looked down at her in confusion.

"Who's _Alice!?"_ He shook his head, "That's like asking who am I!" He squinted down at Rose, then looked at Elliot. His face then paled, and he backed up. "Is it because," he pointed at me, "_she's_ here that you're forgetting?" He looked distraught as he turned around. "Am I going to forget, too?" He had information on Alice… Maybe he could tell me where she had gone? His lip jutted out, and he ran off.

"Oh, come _on_ Boris! There's a Foreigner, and you're obsessing over some girl we've never heard of!" Elliot called after him. The pink-eared cat turned back and flipped the hare off, then continued into the forest. Truth pouted in my arms.

"Well, he seems nice," I said casually. The kitten buried his head into my chest.

"He's my friend… He gave me fish and milk…" I frowned; well, I'd have to meet him eventually if I wanted to beat this game and get home. My head started to hurt when I thought of home, and I had to rub my forehead. Then, just as suddenly as it had come on, it had gone away. I had forgotten what I had been thinking about.

I shrugged my shoulders and pet him. Elliot just sighed, "Was Alice a Faceless girl he had hooked up with or something?"

"I don't know, Elliot. He seems pretty infatuated with her… Wait, why did he think Marina looked like her, if she was Faceless? Am I forgetting something?"

Oh, if only you two knew...


	5. Oh dear, what nonsense I'm talking!

**Sorry for the short chapter! The next one will be longer, I promise.**

After managing to get into the Amusement Park without paying (which involved some well placed 'I'm the Foreigner's and Eliot threatening to blow a Faceless' head off), we walked around pointlessly. Truth and I stared up at the rides in awe, Elliot scowled, and Rose went on to tell me why The House was so much better than the Amusement Park.

"And besides, The House has the most beautiful gardens in all of Heart Country." She nodded, but turned to look at the hare when he scoffed. "Ex_cuse_ you, but it's the truth. The Gardens Group specializes in flowers. Hell, our main profit is from Flower Water!"

"That may be true, but your gardens aren't better than Blood's." He certainly was loyal to the Hatter, huh? "His gardens are the most magnificent." I looked back at Rose, who had a sick smile on her face and a blood vessel popped on her forehead. She swung her umbrella, and I jumped when it shifted into a thin sword.

She pointed it at his throat. "Take that back, _bunny_."

He pulled his pistol out, pointing it at her head. "Never, _daisy_."

I forced a smile to my face and moved to separate them. "Let's not fight here, okay?" We had attracted the attention of all the Faceless guests and employees. I jumped when she swung her sword, and it shifted back into her rose-topped umbrella. She huffed. Elliot put his pistol back in its holster. He snickered.

I jumped again when some yelled, "Don't you start a fight here, Hatter's dog!" I turned on my heel, causing a(nother) tall man to nearly trip over me. He righted himself and scowled at Elliot. He had ignored me. Oh…kay then. That was new. Then he glared at Rose. Both straightened out, though the hare rolled his eyes. "What are you two doing here?"

They both pointed to me. "We're showing her around-"

"-Gowland."

"-old man."

Gowland? What a peculiar name. He turned to me, eyes wide. Then he smiled and shook my hand violently. "Ah, yea? A Foreigner, right? I'm Gowland, owner of the park!" My head swirled as he continued to shake my hand. "What's your name, darling?" No comments about Alice. Had he forgotten her as well?

"Gowland." Rose set her hand on his shoulder. "You're scaring her." Not necessarily _scaring_ me, but he certainly confused me. Hadn't he just been angry? He was happy now? what a confusing old man… He stopped shaking my hand and let go of me. Then he circled me, examining me. I stood still.

He stopped, closed his eyes and grinned. "She's a cutie!" I flushed embarrassedly and covered my face with one of my hands. How could he just say that! He leaned down and looked at the kitten in my arms next. "Oh? Aren't you the little kitten Boris had been taking care of last Time Change?" Truth swatted the man with his paw. He grinned and stood up, holding his scratched face. "Yup, definitely the same kitty!"

"Truth!" I said, scolding him. He buried his head into my armpit. "Why did you do that!?" I looked at the orange-haired male with apologetic eyes. "I'm _so_ sorry, Truth doesn't usually act this way." I grabbed hold of the cat and pulled him out to speak to him. "Say sorry."

The kitten looked over his shoulder, ears flat against his head, and roughly said, "I'm so _sorry_, Mister Go-Round." Go-Round? Gowland's eyebrow twitched, but he kept his smile. Was he angry with what had Truth called him?

"It's nothing. You know how young animals are."

I smiled, then smacked my forehead with my free hand. (At this point, I had been supporting Truth with one arm, my other hand holding the vial still.) "Oh, gosh, Gowland, I haven't introduced myself!" I shook his hand once, then withdrew mine. "I'm Marina Jenkins."

"Miss Marina, then? Ah, what a cute name." He smiled at me again, but it changed when he looked over at Elliot and Rose. I turned around, catching them mid sentence of an argument. My eyes widened. They had been quiet. "You two, show this young lady around the park! Take her on any ride she wants! You'll get to the front of the line with these," he pulled three yellow passes from his bright yellow jacket, "exclusive fast passes!"

Rose scoffed, "We were just showing her around. I'll take her on rides next time I come out."

"Which will be when, Rose? I haven't seen you since Vivaldi's ball, which was a long time ago." She huffed and crossed her arms.

"You don't have to be right all the time, Gowland." She walked away, "I'll be getting a lemonade while you finish your introduction with him! Elliot," she grabbed his arm, "come with me." He followed her, grumbling about her demanding nature. The older man smiled down at me again. Truth jumped from my arms.

"Truth!"

He responded with a snotty, "I'm just going with Rose, gosh!"

I frowned, but didn't say another word. I'd have to ask him why he didn't like the man later. Gowland sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I must've done something bad to make him hate me." He forced another smile and said, "So, how has Heart Country treated you? Do you enjoy it here?" He walked around me again. I nodded enthusiastically.

"Everyone here is nice! At least, so far." I looked up at him.

"So, who have you met?"

"WELL." I walked around him, and he chuckled. "First, I met Peter, then Rose and her girls and Bud. Then I met Blood Dupre, Elliot and the Bloody twins. Then Julius, then I had a brief encounter with Boris-he ran away. Finally, I met you!"

"_Boris_ ran away from you? But he loves meeting new people!" he said, surprised. I shrugged and nodded sadly. I'd have to find that cat; I needed to know what he knew about Alice! Gowland sighed, "Ah, he's probably hiding in the woods next to the park. He loves it out there…"

He would be in the woods by the park? Perhaps I could go out later and find him… If I was completely honest with myself, I wasn't excited to go and see Peter after he had abandoned me on Clock Tower. Maybe I could ask Rose to take me to Heart Castle next Time Change? Tell her I wanted to explore in the woods?

I shrugged my shoulders again, trying to loosen them up. Ah, I had to go shopping still… Maybe I could convince her to take me shopping, then let me explore? Whatever. A Faceless employee approached us, grinning. "Gowland! There's a guest looking for you!" The man raised a brow, but nodded.

He looked back at me, "I gotta go, Miss Marina, but it's nice meeting you!" He followed the employee, mumbling, "Who's looking for me?"

I turned around as Rose, Elliot and Truth returned. The kitten was positioned on top of the hare's head, in between his ears. I almost laughed, but managed to contain it. Cuteness radar going off again! The mafia leader sucked lemonade through a straw, "Did Gowland run off?"

"Yea, someone's looking for him." She sighed, walking ahead. I followed her, and Elliot followed me. "Hey, instead of going to the castle next, could we go shopping?" She stared at me curiously, but nodded. I smiled at her, "Thanks."

"No problem, Marina." She turned to Elliot, "You coming with us, bunny?" I looked up at him. I honestly hoped he would. He was nice, and his presence was calming. Maybe we could become friends eventually? He gulped when we locked eyes, but nodded.

"I suppose. Just to make sure you don't force her into those ugly flamenco dresses." She scoffed sarcastically. I smiled; they were definitely friends, what with how they fought. "Are we going to the shopping district? Because that's a little ways away."

"Shopping district?"

"It's behind Clock Tower, in neutral territory."

"Ah, then yea." We had made our way to the front of the Amusement Park, slipping out of the gates and making our way through the crowd out front. Once we got back on the main path, I looked back at the people filing in. "There wasn't a crowd when we came in earlier."

"The crowd comes when it wants," Rose said. I let out a short 'oh' and continued to walk beside her. We walked in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was plenty comfortable. I wondered if I had just been accepted in their little friendship, but shook my head. I had only just met them, so it would be a while before we were friends.

Suddenly, I asked, "Hey, could we put off going to the castle for a couple Time Changes?"

Rose nearly spit out her lemonade. "What?" she coughed.

I sighed and looked between them, "I really don't want to see Peter." He withheld information from me, like a big jerk. I don't think I like him a lot… I mean, he was nice to me, but he _did_ leave me in the woods.

"What did that stupid rabbit do?" Elliot asked. I looked at the ground.

"He left me in the woods. Alone." He also brought me here, away from home… "Augh!" My head thumped in immense pain at the very thought of home. I grabbed my hair and tugged.

"Marina!" Truth screamed, jumping off of Elliot's head. I collapsed to the ground, and the two Role Holders frantically tried to ask me what was wrong. Again, the pain was gone just as soon as it came on. "Marina?" The kitten crawled into my lap.

"Are you okay?"

I tilted my head; why was I on the ground? "I'm fine. Did I trip?" They looked between themselves and shrugged.

"Nothing, nothing." I cradled Truth in my arms as Elliot lifted me up. He scowled, "You sure you're alright?" I smiled at him; ah~ How cute! He was worried for me.

"Peachy." He nodded, quickly removing his arms from my person. I walked ahead of them, "Come on, I want clothes!" We quickly made our way towards Clock Tower, and I noticed the shops that lined the street behind it. I grinned and sprinted towards the one that read 'Boutique'. Rose laughed and followed me in, Elliot grumbled to himself about something, and Truth simply buried his head into my chest.

I set the kitten on the ground, and he wandered around the store. A Faceless girl approached us. "Excuse me." We all looked at her. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for sleep clothes, a couple dresses, shorts, t-shirts, socks, shoes and underwear," I rattled off. She nodded.

She pointed to the left, "That's our sleepwear section." Then she pointed to to the middle, "That's our casualwear section. Dresses, shirts and pants can be found there." Finally, she pointed to the right, a small section by the cash register. "And that's our lingerie section." I heard Elliot inhale through his nose and rolled my eyes. Was he embarrassed by the thought of underwear? "There's a shoe store two shops down. They're a partner shop."

I smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Thanks, Miss!"

"You're welcome." I started to walk towards the clothes, but she grabbed my arm. "Are you a Foreigner, Miss? I like to think I'm good at remembering faces." I nodded, and her smile widened. "Welcome to Wonderland!" I wondered why this place had two names: Heart Country and Wonderland.

I skipped off towards the clothes. Rose followed and said, "Oh, if I'm paying I get to pick out one outfit!"

I grinned, "Okay, you can pick out _one_."


	6. As if I would talk on such a subject!

**It's long over due, but it's very long soooooooooo. *gives you thumbs up* Read on!**

It was actually really easy to slip away from Rose and Elliot after we had bought everything I needed. They had gotten into another argument about who was going to carry the chair back to The House. While they bickered, I took the bag of sweets we had purchased (on a whim) and slid into the woods surrounding the Clock Tower area. I made sure I was far enough back that they couldn't see me, but close enough that I could see and follow the path.

I felt bad when I heard them call out, "Marina! _Marina_!" I looked down at Truth, who followed me. He blinked up at me and kitty-smiled. I felt my cares melt off of me. They wouldn't be mad when I got back. Maybe a little agitated that I ran off, but not mad with me. I'd have to tell them why I ran off, though.

"What are we doing, Marina?" the black cat asked. I inhaled through my nose, letting my shoulders slump when I exhaled. "Stressed?"

"A little. Well, we're going to go find that cat, Boris." His eyes sparkled up at me. "You like him?" He nodded excitedly, prancing forward a few feet.

"Nya~ Boris is nice! He's my friend." He twirled around my legs, dodging in between my feet. "He gave me fish, and milk, and took me out exploring in the woods, and bought me a bowtie!" He gasped, "Oh no, I forgot to get the bow from him!"

I smiled and leaned down to pet him. "It's okay. We're looking for him, anyways." He nodded, then excitedly gasped. "What!? What is it!"

"I can help look for him!" he nearly yelled. I stared down at him, confused. He looked up at me and kitty-smiled, "Cats have a great sense of smell."

I tilted my head to the side in curiosity, "But, I thought dogs were the ones with the great sense of smell?" He huffed and rolled his eyes. I started walking again, and he followed. "Don't huff at me, that's just what I've been told."

"Cats and dogs have been fighting about who has the better sense of smell for years now. Now, I know you don't keep up with the news and all, but it's recently been revealed that cats have a better sense of smell. It's been proved scientifically now." I blinked at the kitten; how did he know all this?

"Well. Do you remember what Boris smells like?" I asked curiously. Cats seriously had a better sense of smell than dogs? I couldn't believe it. He nodded enthusiastically, sprinting ahead of me. "Truth, slow down!"

"No, I smell him! Run faster!" I followed the cat, jumping over some tree roots. A particularly large root stuck out of the ground, and I tripped and skidded across it. The sweets fell to the ground, and I hurriedly forced them back into the bag. I watched as Truth turned to the right. I stood up and sprinted, following him. I could see his outline as he ran.

"Seriously, Truth, slow down!" I yelled loudly. I noted the pain in my knee. I must've bruised it, or scraped it, or cut it, or something. I hoped I hadn't ripped my socks. The kitten stopped when we reached a clearing. In the very center of the bright green grass was a lone tree, and I could make out the silhouette of someone sitting among the branches.

"Boris is over there." I nodded, slowly walking into the tall grass. It waved in a wind I didn't feel, creating a ruckus that hid my movements. As I approached the cat, everything else came to a halt. He turned around when I got close to the awkwardly-shaped tree, and his eyes widened when he saw me. He sat up, looking ready to run off and back into the forest.

"Please don't run away from me!" I called desperately. He had information on Alice, I could feel it! And I needed to know it. Besides, I needed to know him if I was to beat my game and get home. My head thumped, but I pushed that aside and continued to approach him. He didn't run, but kept his back turned from me. When I got to the tree, I noticed the bench that sat underneath its branches. I sat on it, setting the bag of sweets next to me.

"Who are you?" he asked, purposefully not looking at me. I sighed and pulled out a cake. I opened the box and frowned. It was crushed~! Truth jumped up onto the bench, curling into my lap.

"My name's Marina Jenkins." I couldn't let the cake go to waste, so I opened up the plastic silverware container and pulled out the fork. I cut into the crushed cake, biting the fork and enjoying the morsel. I usually didn't like sweet things, but the cake was delicious. His tail flicked back and forth as he kicked his legs.

"I'm Boris Airay." I hummed, "You knew that?" I hummed again. "Oh." We sat in silence for a few moments. "You're Truth's owner?"

"Not really. I just take care of him and stuff." I took another bite of cake, struggling to suppress my sounds of satisfaction. I noticed that his tail flicked back even faster, and I looked up. He had a needy look on his face. "I have another piece of cake, though it may be crushed. I tripped following him out here. Do you want it?" He kept his eyes away from me, but nodded. I dug through the bag, picking up the second box of cake (I remembered that it was originally for Rose) and another plasticware container. I placed them next to him on the flat branch, and he grabbed it and opened up. I smiled when he took a big bite.

"It's good!" he said excitedly.

"I know, right?" I responded. We ate cake in silence, and I noticed that his presence was as comforting as Rose's and Elliot's.

"So… why are you out here?" he asked.

"I was looking for you." He finally looked down at me with wide eyes. I stared back at him. He continued to stare (and I noticed that his cheeks got red), so I leaned back and crossed my arms. "I want to know why Alice left."

He whipped his head around at her name, keeping his eyes away from me. His tail stuck straight out, and his ears were straight up. I raised a brow when he opened his mouth. Then he softly said, "No one but Blood and Nightmare know why Alice left… I had an inkling as to why, but I never got around to asking her."

He jumped off the branch, the cake and silverware clattering to the grassy ground. He turned around, facing me. The wind still blew, but I didn't feel it. I just knew it was there. I placed Truth and the cake beside me on the bench, then stood up to face him. "What was your inkling, Boris?" I asked.

He smiled at me, running a hand through the backside of his fuschia hair. "You know, Alice and I would come out here when she got fed up with Blood. He was a big asshole to her, but she put up with because she loved him. I was mesmerized by her strength, even though she was so fragile." He lifted up one of his hands, then closed it into a fist. "She was strong, with a strength I never knew existed. And then, one day, I realized I had the same strength." His smile fell, causing his shoulders to slump. "It was love. And I didn't have enough strength to snatch her up as mine."

I felt a pang of pity in my heart for the cat. He had been in love with Alice, and he didn't know why she had left… I approached him, but he held up his hand. "Boris…"

"But I won't forget her; she was precious, and I loved her." He looked at the ground, "I won't forget the day she left. She was so, _so_ upset. She had been crying, clutching her stomach close." My head thumped, and I could almost see the froofy-looking girl run from the mansion in my vision.

"_Hey, don't do that._"

My vision blurred, and I collapsed to the ground. I could see her clearly now. She did look like me, with a pointed face and high cheekbones. Her eyes were bright blue I noticed, and she seemed to be staring at me. She took a step towards me, but stopped when someone called her name. She glanced over her shoulder frantically before sprinting off into the distance.

Someone shook my shoulders, and the vision stopped. Boris was looking at me worriedly. I stared back at him. "I look like her. Exactly like her." He nodded, helping me up. Truth had raised his head curiously to stare at me. I pushed away from him, confused as to why I was in Wonderland. Did Peter bring me because I looked like her, or simply because he forgot her entirely?

Again, my vision blurred as I rubbed my eyes. I was panting, and my heart was racing. That's probably not too good. The pain followed, forcing me to the ground yet again. I gripped my pained heart, hoping to reduce the stress. Whenever I got worried, this happened. "Marina!" It felt similar to someone squeezing my heart, their touches burning it. I gasped for breath.

It passed after a few moments, and I was able to shakily stand up. I inhaled testily, then exhaled. My breathing had stabilized. I twisted my mouth; I hadn't had an episode like that in months. Perhaps Wonderland had put some stress on my heart? ...probably. I should find a soothing drink or something. I stood up and placed my hands on my hips. Boris stared at me again, his eyes wide and worried. I held up my hand. "I have a heart condition."

He tilted his head, "Heart condition?" I sighed. How could I explain this to someone that has a clock for a heart?

"A heart condition is sorta like a faulty clock. It still works, just not as well as a good one." He nodded.

"What's the condition called?"

I shrugged my shoulders at his sudden curiosity. "It's a heart defect, actually. It's just a little oddity on top of my heart. The doctors call it congential heart disease. But, because my heart sounds a little weird, my family calls it ticking heart syndrome."

His eyes lit up. "Your heart sounds weird?" He inched closer to me, tail flicking back and forth. I nodded. "Can I listen to it?" Could he listen to it? What a peculiar question… But, I saw no harm in it. He probably hadn't heard a heart before.

"I suppose." He set his head against my chest, purring loudly. I kept my arms on my sides as he listened. His tail twitched back and forth in time with my heart beats.

"Wow! Your heart sounds a bit like Alice's!" He grinned at me, rubbing his cheek against mine. I backed up. So he had listened to Alice's heart? ...why was I surprisingly jealous of that? I shook my head. She had been here before me, so it was only natural that he had heard it. "It also sounds a bit like a clock."

I stuck a finger in his face. "That's why we call it ticking heart syndrome in my family." He nodded, but his ears stuck straight up and he stood at full alert. I turned around to look at what he stared at, only to see nothing. I tilted my head and turned back to him. He frowned, running off after a moment. "Boris! You still have to tell me stuff!" He kept running, leaving Truth and I standing under the tree. I sighed; perhaps I can get him to talk again. I was interested in Alice's last day here. It could explain why she left.

Truth jumped off of the bench, and we both were shocked when it started to walk away. Was that the same bench Blood and I had sat on? I shook my head; ah~ whatever. It probably was. He looked up at me, his ears also perked. "Go-Round was calling his name." I picked him up, heading in the general direction we came from. That reminded me; why did he not like Gowland?

"Hey, Truth, why don't you like Gowland?" The kitten rolled his eyes and buried his head into my armpit. "Truth…"

He pulled his head out and looked at me. "He tried to pet me, and when I let him, he pet too hard." He frowned and whined, "He pulled my tail, too! Who just pulls someone else's tail! Only Go-Round, that's who!" He mewed at the end, expressing his displeasure.

"That's not a reason to hate him, kitty." He hissed at me, then gently nipped my hand. I swatted his head softly, but he reeled back. "All you had to do was tell him you didn't like it." He rolled his eyes and laid his head on my shoulder.

"I was just upset that he pulled my tail…" He nuzzled his head into my neck. "I miss Jacob…" My head thumped at the name, but I was determined not to fall from the pain. Jacob… Jacob… My little brother, Jacob…

"I miss him, too." I was in the forest then, stopping when we were a good distance in. I looked around curiously. The trees were incredibly tall pines and oaks and hickories and other kinds I didn't know. I grinned when a soft breeze drifted through the trees, lifting my curly hair off of my shoulder. It was nice. I absentmindedly wondered why I hadn't felt the breeze in the clearing, but had seen it instead. I shook my head; Wonderland is weird.

We began walking again, soon making our way back to the path. We remained silent as we walked, each of us lost in our thoughts. After a while, I sighed and said, "I should probably visit Julius." He blinked up at me.

"Julius?"

"Another Role Holder here."

He huffed, "Is he that gloomy guy Rose was telling us about?" I tilted my head, but nodded. He was a little gloomy. Truth groaned, "Gloomy people are l_aaaaaa_me." I tapped his head, scolding him. "Marina!"

"Julius is nice! He showed me the path back to Rose's House!" I said defensively. He rolled his eyes and curled into my arms. I sighed. He was being ridiculous again.

We continued along the path, bickering with one another the entire way. I absentmindedly noted how comfortable I was with my talking cat. I shrugged; it was a dream, of course I was comfortable with Truth talking. Finally, hit bit into my hand (none too gently) and I jumped. "Tr_uuuuuuuuuuth_!" I whined. He kitty-smiled and turned his head. I frowned, batting at his head. "What a bad kitten."

"You're just a bad caretaker," he said haughtily. I rolled my eyes. He was annoying, too. I blinked when I saw Clock Tower on the horizon. I smiled and sprinted towards it, nearly dropping Truth in the process. "MARINA, SLOW DOWN!" he screeched. I giggled; hadn't I been the one to yell that earlier?

We slid to a stop in front of the door. I opened it, calling out, "Hey Julius, I'm here again!" I could hear the exaggerated (at least, I hoped it was exaggerated) groan from the floor above me. I bounded up the stairs, though; I wasn't going to be put off by a groan. I opened the door to the main floor, seeing the long-haired man sitting behind his desk. I noticed the coffee cups surrounding him, then the dark circles under his eyes. I tilted my head; he hadn't slept.

"Julius~ you haven't slept!" He continued to focus on the clocks in front of him. I pouted; he really did off a gloomy feeling. I walked towards him and tapped his head. He glared up at me. "You haven't slept, Julius."

"I've been working." He looked back at the clocks, so I tapped his head again. He glared back at me. "Leave me alone."

"You need to sleep."

"I need coffee."

I blinked at him, then smiled. "I can make you coffee!" He glanced up at me, but continued to work on the clock. I set Truth down on the desk, and he proceeded to lay directly on the clock. The long-haired man groaned loudly.

"You stupid cat!" he yelled.

"Hey!" Truth yelled back. "I'm not stupid!" The cat hissed at the man. The man glared back at the cat. And I stood awkwardly, looking around the room at the few doors here and there. Truth continued to sit on the clock and make himself comfortable. Julius huffed and shoved him off before he continued to work on the clock. I stared at his hands, wondering how they could control such tiny tools.

I blinked and remembered what I said I'd do. "Julius, where's the kitchen?" He glared at his work, sighed, and looked up at me. Then he pointed to a doorway on the right of the circular room. I nodded and walked towards it. Once I was in the thin kitchen, I glanced around and smiled, spotting the coffee machine and coffee. Skipping over to them, I noticed that the coffee beans were whole. So, I'd have to crush them, huh? I looked around for a grinder, but only found a bowl and a weird, wooden thing. I'd have to ask him what it was called later. I figured I had to crush the beans in that, so I put a handful into the white ceramic bowl and started to mash them. It took awhile, but I eventually had a fine powder.

I realized with a start that I should've put the water into the pot so it could get hot. Meh~ whatever. I poured water and the ground coffee beans into the pot, watching as it mixed together to form a hot, dark liquid. As it neared boiling point, I searched for a mug frantically. I found different sized mugs on a stand, and I grabbed a dark blue one with a gold ring around the top. I smiled; it reminded me of Julius. I poured the coffee into the mug and blew on it so it was cooler. Then, I carefully walked out to the man, who was slumped over in his seat and petting Truth, who was purring contently in his lap.

I set the mug in front of him, then nudged his shoulder. He sat up with wide eyes, staring at me. He mouthed something, then shook his head. "I made your coffee, Julius." He nodded, picking up the mug and sipping from it. He made a surprised face as he sat the mug down.

"Not bad for your first go. 73." I blinked.

"73? What?"

"Your grade on the cup of coffee. It's 73." He picked up his tools, once again working on the clock. I stared at him, sighed, and sat in the chair across from his desk. "Don't you have someplace to be?"

"Nah, not really…" Silence. I said, "Rose and I bought stuff today." He remained silent, so I decided to continue. "I found this really cute bow, too. It's blue, and it's got a heart on it." I looked at the cat in his lap, "Truth, what's the color of the bow Boris got you?"

He kitty-smiled, "It's red." I nodded and leaned back into the chair.

"When did you two get so friendly? You were yelling at each other when I left, which was for ten minutes at most." Julius glanced up at me, but quickly returned to his work. His cheeks were slightly red. "Do you like cats or something?"

"No!" He huffed, then said in a quieter tone, "No. I don't." I rolled my eyes; he was totally lying. He probably loved cats. The room suddenly got dark, and I stood up to look out one of the windows (I would later remember it as the window that faced The House). "It's the night Time Change."

"Ohhhh…" But I wasn't sleepy… "Maybe I should go back to The House."

"I have my coffee, so I don't care what you do." I frowned and stared back at the long-haired man. He was still working on the clock. Or, at least, he had been, because he snapped it shut and placed it on the side of (what seemed to be) fixed clocks. He shoved Truth off of his lap, leaning over and grabbing another clock from a growing pile. As I stared at them, it suddenly clicked: he was fixing people's 'hearts'. That would explain his Role as Mortician, But… why did he fix them? They were dead. "You're staring at the clocks."

"Why do you fix them?" I asked, sitting back in the chair. His fingers stopped moving, and he froze. "I mean, I know clocks are the equivalent of hearts here, but they're dead. Why do you fix them?" He grit his teeth. He wasn't going to tell me, I could tell. "You don't have to tell me, Julius." His posture slouched immediately. He really must not like his job. I picked up Truth, who had walked over to me, and headed for the door. "Thanks for listening." Even if we only talked for a short while… "I'll be going. Maybe I'll visit in a few Time Changes!" He didn't reply, so I walked out of the room and down the stairs.

"He's a real stick in the mud."

"You didn't seem to think that when he was petting you."

"As if I would admit to actually liking it."

I grinned at his response; this dream had certainly made Truth a very sassy kitty. Then I frowned; this dream had also made some of the most unique individuals I had ever met. I'd hate waking up if it meant that I'd never see them again… Would I wake up after I beat the game? Huh, so much to think about… I didn't realize that we neared The House until I heard Rose scream, "Get out of here, you perverted knight!" I sprinted the last bit of the path, seeing Ace with his sword drawn facing Rose, who had her umbrella/sword/thing also drawn. He sprinted at her, then jumped and attempted to slash her, but she blocked with her sword. It made a loud _clang!_ sound.

"But Rosie," he giggled, "you're so cute!" He reached for her, and she spun out of his reach. It reminded me of a dance. He slashed his sword again, and she ducked beneath it. "I love you, Rosie!" I blinked; what? He loved her?

She flushed and stabbed her sword forward, nearly hitting his leg. He jumped back. "Don't call me Rosie, perverted knight!"

They continued to fight, and I couldn't help but wonder; if he loved her, why did her fight her? I decided to ask. "Why do you fight her if you love her?" Both turned to me, frozen in stance. Rose's eyes teared up, and she smiled before she ran for me.

"Marina!" she cried joyfully, jumping to hug me. I backed up, since her sword was pointed at me, and she skidded against the ground. "Maaaaarina!" She looked up at me, face covered in dirt.

"Your sword was pointed at me." She jumped up, dropped her sword, and hugged me. She giggled happily, nuzzling her cheek into mine. This side of her was new… She was clingy? Huh… she seemed so independent.

"You left me earlier! I was worried!"

Ace dropped his sword and wrapped his arms around me as well, setting his head on top of mine. "This is fun!"

She immediately flipped into the hot-headed Rose I knew. She growled, "Ace, get off of her _right now._"

"Naaaaaaah." He played with a lock of my hair. "I like the Foreigner." She pulled from his grasp and pushed me behind her, then grabbed her sword from the ground.

"ACE!" she screamed. He picked up his sword and laughed, scampering off into the forest. She followed him, but not before yelling, "Someone get Marina dinner!" I laughed; so this was the side of her that everyone was afraid of? Her hot-headed, protective side? Chamomile appeared by my side suddenly.

"Are you hungry, Miss Marina?"

"A little, Chamomile. What are we having for supper?"

As she rattled off the menu, I grinned. Maybe this dream wouldn't be too bad.


End file.
